


A Shining New Moon

by TheDeathEcchi



Category: Sing (2016)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-09-18 02:48:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9362915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDeathEcchi/pseuds/TheDeathEcchi
Summary: Buster's not really used to being part of a family. But the best family is the one you make yourself.





	

**Author's Note:**

> My first Sing fic! Holy shit, I love this movie so much~

Buster had about .2 seconds to react after he stepped through the door and was met with 25 simultaneous cries of 'Buster!' Not nearly enough time to prepare himself.

An avalanche of pink energy swarmed him, raining hugs, kisses, and a couple noogies.

"Kids, kids! Give him some space!" His savior arrived in the form of Rosita, swiftly navigating the cloud of children to grasp his hand and help him to his feet. A few piglets clung to his ears, but were promptly batted off by the chiding hands of the dancer. "Sorry, they're just so rambunctious. I don't know whose side of the family it comes from."

"Oh, not a problem." chuckled the showman, adjusting himself. 

"Not that I don't mind the surprise, but what're you doing here? Is something wrong with the theater?" Rosita's brows furrowed in worry at the thought of something happening to her second home.

"No, no, not at all!" the koala assured. "The New Moon Theater couldn't shine any brighter, even if I encrusted it with diamonds!" He paused, tapping a finger against his chin. "Actually..."

"Don't even think about it." smirked Rosita. "Not in the budget. So why are you here?"

"I just wanted to check in, see how things were goi--"

"Pigpile!!"

Buster's eyes widened as one of the piglets (Casper? He couldn't tell; they all looked so similar) appeared out of nowhere in the sky and hurtled towards him. Without even looking in his direction, Rosita snatched him from the air and set him down.

"No table jumping, Casper." scolded Rosita before shooing the giggling piglet away, as though this were an everyday occurrence. "Kids..."

"R-Right." Buster laughed nervously. "Anyway, I should probably get going. Don't forget that show we have planned for the 20th!"

"Wouldn't dream of it." smirked the performer. 

"Bye, Rosita. And tell Norman I said 'hi'."

"Take care, Buster."

"Bye, Uncle Buster!" shouted the children.

The koala froze with one foot outside the door, eyes impossibly wide. _'U-Uncle...?'_ He swallowed the lump in his throat and scurried out the door as quick as his tiny legs could carry him.

-/-/-/-/-

"Johnny!"

The gorilla let out a surprisingly high-pitched squeal and nearly ripped the car door off its hinges before realizing it was only Buster. "You gave me a fright there, Mr. Moon."

Buster tsk'd and wagged a finger. "Johnny, Johnny, Johnny, how many times have I told you? It's just Buster." 

"Right, sorry."

It was then Buster noticed the car. "Going somewhere?"

Johnny's eyes darted around nervously. "Uh...nowhere in particular. J-Just out for a drive."

"Perfect! It'll give us just the opportunity to bond. Shotgun!" Laughing at his own joke, Buster hopped into the passenger seat, not noticing the panicky look in Johnny's eyes.

A short drive later found them outside the city's department of corrections. Buster raised an eyebrow, but when he saw the odd sort of smile on Johnny's face, he held back the question that had been forming. 

"Mr. Moo--ahem...Buster...can you keep a secret?"

"Sure...?"

Johnny nodded and got out of the car, Buster quickly following. He'd never been inside the city jail before (lord knows the bank had wanted to hurl him in there for the longest time), but by all accounts, it looked how TV shows had basically presented it. Johnny briskly walked to the visitor's center, the officer giving him a wave after checking his ID. "He's with me." spoke Johnny when the officer noticed Buster.

The row of convicts and visitors stretched from end to end, but the most noticeable site was the absolutely ENORMOUS gorilla sitting opposite an empty seat. And the wide smile on his face.

And the fact he looked remarkably like Johnny.

Johnny walked over to the empty seat, motioning for Buster to follow. The young gorilla took the phone, the older one following. "Hey, dad."

Buster nearly fell off his spot on Johnny's lap. His dad was in prison? How has he managed to keep that secret so long? Actually, now that he was looking at him up close, he looked familiar. Like that gang leader that got arrested a while back...

"Who's the small fry?" Buster let out a yelp; the older gorilla's voice was so loud it carried through the glass.

"Buster Moon." replied Johnny.

"Ah, so he's the one who made my son a star?"

Johnny laughed and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Star, hardly."

"Hey, don't sell yourself short, sonny." smirked Marcus. "You had greatness in you from the start. I just never saw it."

Buster sat quietly, drumming his fingers on his legs as Johnny as his father had their conversation. Strange didn't even begin to cover the situation, but he took notice of the way Johnny's eyes lit up, how he moved his hands to and fro in excitement, and he couldn't help the smile that found its way to his own face.

Eventually, the PSA buzzed with the commanding voice of ending visiting hours. Johnny and his dad said their goodbyes, and that was that.

"So now you know." sighed Johnny. "My dad's a criminal."

"And why, exactly, did you feel the need to not tell me? You know my hands aren't exactly the cleanest themselves." Memories of his disastrous first attempt to impress Nana Noodleman flashed through his head.

"I didn't want anyone else to worry. Or judge or...you know. Swear you won't tell anyone?"

Buster held out a hand. "I'll make you a showman's promise, Johnny. These lips are sealed."

A wide smile stretched across Johnny's face again. "Thanks, Buster."

-/-/-/-/-

"Ash? You there?" called out Buster as he knocked on the apartment door.

There was a loud crash, followed by a louder word that made Buster's cheeks tinge pink. He twiddled his thumbs as he waited, and tensed as he heard hurried footsteps approaching the door.

"What the hell do you--oh, Buster!" The porcupine's demeanor immediately went from angry and hostile to welcoming and warm. Well, the Ash version of warm. She rushed forward and hugged him, surprising the koala.

"Hey, Ash. Um...did I come at a bad time?"

There was a...look that flashed through Ash's face. Buster knew that look. He used to go through that look when he avoided the bank associates. 

Ash was hiding something.

"Not at all!" she laughed, a little too loudly. "Come on in! You want a snack?"

Without even giving him a chance to answer, Ash pulled him inside.

She'd done some redecorating the last time he'd been there. All the pictures of Lance were gone, replaced with posters of her favorite bands, along with pictures of her friends and fellow performers from the theater. To his delight, on the coffee table, displayed proudly, was the picture of the New Moon Theater's grand reopening. It almost brought a tear to his eye. His eyes drifted to a pair of pink scrappy heels by the couch. Odd; he'd never expect Ash to wear something so...girly. But she made the 'pop princess' dress work for her, so he thought not to question it.

"So, what're you doing here?" asked Ash. Buster noticed the nervous, shaky tone in her voice that she probably would've been able to hide if he hadn't used it himself on countless occasions.

"Oh, I was just in the neighborhood. Thought I'd pay my favorite rock star a visit." He subtly looked around, trying to see if Ash would say or do something to give herself away. "Like what you've done with the place."

"Thanks. Cookie?" She held up a box of Nilla Wafers.

"I'd love one."

As Buster took a cookie, he noticed something about Ash's appearance. Her hair was a mess. Well, more than usual. A few quills stuck out at odd angles, her shirt was ruffled, she looked flushed, and...was that a lipstick mark on her cheek?

...Oh.

...OH.

The gears slowly creaked to life as it dawned on Buster. And the strappy heels were the last piece of the puzzle. It took every ounce of self-control he had to not grin evilly.

"Any soda?" Buster asked, thankful Ash didn't notice the way his ears wiggled in excitement. 

"Yeah, no problem." Ash pulled two cans of cola from the fridge and tossed one to Buster. Saying a quick 'Cheers', the two popped the cans and shared a drink.

"So..." asked the koala. "What's her name?"

The result was exactly what Buster expected. She choked and sputtered, spraying cola everywhere. Grinning ear to ear, Buster nonchalantly handed a paper towel to Ash, who snatched it out of his hand.

"What're you talking about?!" coughed Ash. "What her? There's no her! Th-there's not a her or anything like that!" She laughed, loudly, nervously, and downed the rest of her cola. "There's no her."

Buster ticked off his fingers. "Your quills are all in disarray."

"My quills are always like that." scoffed Ash.

"You look flushed."

"I was...I was working on a new song. It's a real doozy."

"There's a lipstick mark on your cheek."

Immediately Ash's hand flew up to rub away the mark. "I was trying on lipstick! For a new look!"

"The strappy heels."

Ash froze. Buster could practically see the internal screaming in her psyche. Grinning, he took another sip of cola and munched on a cookie. "Unless...those are yours?"

"Th-That's right! They're mine!"

This was a test. Buster knew Ash hated all that 'girly nonsense', as she called it. She'd sooner die than wear those pink monstrosities. 

Still, Ash strode over to the heels and, with great effort, picked them up and tried to slip one on. It looked physically painful for her. She barely managed to get it past her toes before she groaned and hurled it onto the couch.

"Okay, I give up! I'm not about to wear those, those...disasters!" She sighed and rubbed her temples. "You can come out now, hun; the jig's up."

From behind the large curtains stepped a golden-furred bunny in a black vest top and denim jeans. A necklace bearing the name 'Warren' hung around her neck and a pair of large, silver earrings jangled as she walked. "Hi." she greeted, giving a friendly wave.

"Well, well, well..." snickered Buster. "And who might you be?"

"Like you haven't already figured it out." Ash sighed. "So you're a showman AND a detective."

"Hardly. I just like to play attention."

A round of introductions later and a good-natured 'take care of my favorite rock star', and Buster was gone. He laughed to himself as he made his way down the street. "Eddie owes me twenty bucks."

-/-/-/-/-

"Buster! You've come to pay a visit!" The koala barely managed to get a word out before Gunter embraced him in a crushing hug and swung him around.

"Y-Yeah, just wanted to see how you were holding up."

"Oh, I'm holding very well!" laughed the pig. "You've come just in time!"

Gunter skipped over to the boombox on his counter and clicked it on. The sounds of electropop blared out, and the flashy dancer immediately went into a routine. "I've been working on a new performance that you're totally going to L-O-V-E adore!"

Buster had always been marveled at Gunter's style. 'Fierce and fearless', he had called it. And his exuberance and zeal was infectious, to put it mildly. He couldn't help himself grinning as Gunter danced and motioned for him to join in.

"Okay, but don't get mad if I show you up." smirked Buster as he kicked off his shoes.

-/-/-/-/-

"Oof..." groaned Buster as he walked, working the kinks out of his shoulder. "Gunter can really move. That act is gonna knock them dead." It was enough of a comfort to soothe his aching bones.

The sun was starting to dip as he walked the streets of the more modest neighborhood just on the outskirts of the city. Meena's modest house came into view, and he broke into a run, reaching the door in seconds. Three knocks on the door, and he waited.

"Yes?" came the soft-spoken golden voice. 

"Hello, Meena." greeted Buster. "How's your ni--OOF!"

"Mr. Moon!" exclaimed Meena, scooping up Buster in the latest in painful hugs of the day. "I'm so glad to see you!"

"Nice--ack!--to see you too, Meena!" Buster pawed at the singer's arms. "Mind letting me breathe...!?"

Meena set down the showman and apologized profusely, despite his assurances that he was fine, no matter how raspy he sounded. 

"I just wanted to see how you were doing. Everything okay?"

"Of course! My parents have never been happier. I've never been happier. Thank you, so much, Mr. Moon."

"Just Buster is fine." chuckled the koala. "Well, since you're fine I'll just--"

"Who's that at the door!?" came a booming voice. Meena was practically shoved aside as another, larger elephant appeared, brandishing a cane. "We already gave at the office, so you just run along, now, hear?"

"Grandpa!" Meena wailed. "This is Mr. Moon. You met him before. The owner of the theater?"

The older elephant adjusted his glasses and peered down at Buster. It took a second, but eventually it clicked, and he let out a chortle. "Oh! Well, why didn't you say so? Nice to see you again, Moon!"

"Likewise." replied Buster. "I was actually just leaving--"

"The heck you are!" Meena's grandfather shouted, banging his cane. "Y'all just came around right on time for dinner! And I ain't lettin' you leave without you trying my daughter's sweet potato pie!"

Buster's hand was grasped in a massive fist, and he was pulled inside. Meena shot him an apologetic look that basically said 'Just accept it.'

It was a dinner quite unlike the ones Buster had as a kid. When it was just him and his dad, they would chat amicably about anything that crossed their minds while watching TV and eating whatever was available. 

With Meena's family, it was a completely different experience. Buster was bombarded with questions, barely given a chance to answer, and practically stuffed with pie until he threatened to burst. Meena seemed mortified, but he never once saw the smile leave her face.

And that was definitely the best part of the dinner.

-/-/-/-/-

"Good evening, Mr. Moon." greeted Ms. Crawley, looking up from watering the plants in the office. "Did you have a nice day?"

"An excellent one if there ever was, Ms. Crawley." Buster smiled as he stretched. "Say, have you seen Eddie around?"

"Oh, yes, he was backstage, testing the pyrotechnics."

"Wonderful, that's really--" The koala froze. A single bead of sweat rolled down his head. "I'm sorry, testing the what?"

"The pyrotechnics. He wanted to test them before morning. Something about a fire in the sky." Ms. Crawley paused. "Should I have the fire department on standby?"

"It wouldn't hurt!" shouted Buster as he leapt from his chair and raced downstairs.

-/-/-/-/-

"Eddie!" Buster's cry echoed within the theater as he saw the sheep holding a plug in his hands, a manic grin on his face. He reached out to stop him, but too late; he plugged it in.

For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then, the sky exploded.

A kaleidoscope of colors appeared above the stage, sparking and flashing in a perfect pattern. Buster skidded to a stop and stared upwards as the lights flashed. A soft 'Wow' escaped his lips as the light show ended, and for a moment, he was six years old again, seeing the wonder and magic of the theater for the first time.

"So, what do you think?" asked Eddie, jolting Buster from his stupor.

"That was AMAZING!" shouted the koala. "How did you...when did you...I'm stunned!"

The smile on Eddie's face was brighter than any light show.

-/-/-/-/-

Buster sighed as he settled into his bed. It had certainly been a more eventful day than he thought. He looked at the picture of the opening for the New Moon Theater. Bright and sunny Rosita, flashy Gunter, glam rock queen Ash, piano virtuoso Johnny, and showstopper Meena. He saw them as more than performers today; he saw them as people. As friends. 

As family. 

He chuckled to himself and settled into bed. The last sight he saw before sleep overtook him was the picture of his theater, the picture of his family, against the shining, silver backdrop of the new moon.


End file.
